Hot-water washing and refilling system for locomotive-boilers.



- W. A. POWERS.

HOT WATER WASHING AND RBFILLING SYSTEM FOR LOGOMOTIVB BOILERS.

APPLIOATIoN FILED Nov. 27, 1909.

1,023,441. v Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f @QM/Q, n f# W. A. POWERS.

HOT WATER WASHING AND REFILLING SYSTEM FOR LocoMo'rIVE BOILBRS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1909.

1,023,441 Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. A. POWERS.

HOT WATER WASHING AND RBFILLING SYSTEM FOR LoCoMoTIvB BOILBRS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1909.

1,023,441 Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WILLIAM VA. POWERS, F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

HOT-WATER WASIi-IING AND' REFILLING SYSTEM FOR LOCOMQTIVE-BOILERS.

T o all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. PownRs, a citizen of the United States, residing atV Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in HoteWaterlVVashing and Refilling Systems for Locomotive- Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of lmy invention is to provide an improved system for washing and refilling locomotive boilers with water heated to a proper degree of temperature for the desired purposes.

Another object of my invention is to utilize exhaust steam foi the purpose of heat-- ing the washing and refilling water for locomotive boilers.

Another object of my invention is to utilize in this way the exhaust steam from a local steam power vplant in the neighborhood of the roundhouse where the washing `and refilling is lto be performed.

Another object of my invention is to reduce the back pressure in the exhaust steam conduits when the exhaust steam is used for heating the washing and refilling water.

Another object of my invention is to provide duplex apparatus for heating wash -water and refilling water separately each to the proper temperature. v

Ally these objects and others will be made a parentin the following specification and ciaims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. J

My invention is defined in the appended claims, but, for the purpose of illustrating it, I have shown two specific embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, andmodification in which one and the same tank holds water both for'washing and refilling pur-poses; and Fig. is a detail sectional view showing a thermostat regulator.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 27, 1909. serial No. 530,131.

Patented apr. 16, 1912.

The exhaust ,steam from the steam engine 16 in the power plant 15 is conducted through the pipe 17 p'ast the free exhaust valve 32 and check valve 31 to the injector condenser 28, which is shownl in detail in F ig., 2. `Exhaust steam from the locomotives 18, standing in their respective stalls in the `roundhouse, is conducted through the flexible couplings 19 to the main pipe 20, which connects to the pipe 17 by a gate valve 2l, and also to 'the outlet 33 from the free exhaust valve 32. A head of water is supplied through 'the pipe 62 which has the branches 22 and 22. 'In the branch 22 are successively interposed t-he control gate valve 23, the valve 24 controlled by Vthe float 26, and the valve 25 controlled by the thermostat 27. Finally after passing through all these valves, the water supplied through the pipes 62 and 22 empties into the injector condenser 28 meeting exhaust steam received through the pipe y and the mixture of steam and water are delivered into the tank 29. An outlet pipe 34 from the tank 29 leads to the' pump 35 and the delivery pipe 36 from thisv pump goes as a refilling water'main through the engine stalls in the roundhouse, branches 37 being taken off adjacent to each locomotive for the purpose of refilling the saine.

The tank 29 and its related apparatus are exactly similar to the tank 29 and its related apparatus; therefore the tank 29 ,and its associated parts have been designated by numerals corresponding to those employed in connection with the tank 29, but dis tinguished by means of primes. The exhaust steam passing from the power plant 15 and that coming from the locomotives 18 may be mingled by opening'the gate valve 21 or may be kept separate by closing the same. Part of this exhaust steam goes along the pipe 30 and part along the pipe 30. water in the injector condensers 28 and 28 and thus a vacuum 'is maintained in the exhaust pipes 17 and 20. The supply of cold water through the pipes 22 and 22 is regulated by the float 26 and also by the thermostat 27, so that the water in each' tank 29 and 249 is kept ata desired temperature. In case there should be an excessive supply of exhaust steam relative to the quantity of water admitted by the valves These respective parts meet with cold 1 24, 25,124, and 25, then the excess of exhaust steam turned back from the conduit 30 will escape from the valve 32 into the branch '33 and the excess from the conduit -J30 will escape from the valve 32 to the.

open outlet 38. y The injector condenser is shown in detail in Fig. 2. It has a shell 39 with an inclined partition 40 through which passes a central perforatedvshell 41`-.44. This vshell has perforations 42 above the partition 40, through which cold water enters from the branchconnection 43. Below the partition 40steam enters from the branch connection 48 through the downwardly inclined holes A 45. Regulation is effected by means of the plunger 46, which has vscrewthreaded engagement at 47 with the upper part of the shell 41-44 and isadapted to b`e controlled by the hand wheel 51. The water from the branch connection 43 passes down around the plunger 46 and meets the steam coming through the inclined holes 45. The mixture goes down through the Haring conduit 25 49 and'throughvthe connection 50into the tank 29 or .29.

It will be seen that the apparatus acts to.

take the back pressure oil' from theexhaust pipe '17, and, if desired, from the exhaust y30 pipe 20. The check valve `31 or 31 serves tov hold whatever vacuum may be attained in the pipe 17.l Thetank 29 or 29 is open to the atmosphere, some space being. left a the top around the thermostat.

The tanks shown in Fig.- 3 are made of reinforced concrete. The control floats A26 and 26 are pivoted on the hangers 54 and 54 that vdepend. from the top of these tanks. -52 is a guide, and the float varm 53 connects 40 to the valve 24 by means of the rod 55.

The thermostat is,V shown in detail in'Fig.

.5. An openwork c ap 56 is fixed on the lower end ofthe tube 27, and attached thereto is the lower end of a highly expansible inner rod or tube 57, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to .one end ot the lever 58, which is fulcrumed on the-lugs 59. The other end of' this lever 58 is connected to the rod 60, which operates-the valve 25. When the water descending through the ipe27 is too hot, the resultant elongation ci) the rod or tube 57l will open the valve 25, thus admitting a llarger proportionof cold water to the mixture in the tank 29.

The modification shown Fig. 4 is employed when only one supplyof water is to be maintained both for washing andrefilling purposs.- In this case, the attach-v 60 ments 37 for/refilling and 37 for washing are connected to lt-he'same' hot water main 36 and can be used alternatively. A -cold Y water supply comes in at 22.' Therexhaust steam [from the locomotive boiler cornes along'the main 2() and the exhaust steam `from thelocal power plant comes along the pipe 17.

As is well known,

than for wash water,`and therefore, when /two tanks are used, I maintain slightly ditone tank is used, it is necessarygto use refilling .water of a temperature reduced to the point that is proper for wash water.

It will be seen that by the use of a sys- Item-,employing my invention. both the exthe exhaust steam will divide itself between these two tanks automatically in a proper proportion. The advantage of having a vacuum on the blow-0H line 20 is that` it decidedly shortens the time'to blow oiii' the lble to blow oit at a lower pressure than would otherwise be the case, thereby utilizing'a decidedly4 greater proportion of heat 'from the waste contents ofthe boilers. I claim: p w

1. In a device of the class described, two

tanks, cold water conduits leading to each tank, a steam power plant, an exhaust steam supply pipe leading from said plant to one tank, a free ,exhaust valve connected thereto, a pipe connected to said freeI vexhaust valve'and leading therefrom to theother the outside atmosphere from said last men- -tioned pipe, jet condensers at the'respective tanks to mingle the cold water and exhaust steam and thermostatic means associated with each tank toy regulate the supply of livered into Aeach tank, -respectively, said temperatures being diiierent.

2. In a device of the class steam power plant, a boiler refilling tank, a boilerwashing tank, cold water conduits the vpowerl plant to the .refilling tank, a, branch pipe therefrom to the washing tank free exhaust valve opening from said branchx haust steam from the local power plant and.

heated to two different temperatures and tank, another 'free exhaust valve opening to provided with a free exhaust valve, another pipe` to the outer atmosphare, jet cona suitable temperature for refilling water may-be-somewhat higherv ferent temperatures in them. When only locomotive boilers and also makes it possiwater and' temperature thereof as it is de- Y' described, a l:

to both tanks, an exhaust steam pipe from densers at the respective tanks to mingle-the In testimony whereof,l I have subscribed. cold Waterl and exhaust steam and thermomy name.

static means associated with each tank to W. A. P-OVVERS Q regulate the su' ply of .Water and temperav x -V 5k ture thereof as 1t is delivered into each tank, Witnesses: Q

respectively, saidtemperatlres being dif` ORToN T. REEB,

ferent. JAS,"` R, Penman. 

